RiverWings
RiverWings NOTE YOU ONLY NEED TO ASK PERMISSION FOR A ROYAL OR RIVERWING BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE LOTUS! RiverWings Description: Aquas, greens, blues, and browns. Slender lithe bodies, slender snouts with extendable jaws, and fins in place of wings. Abilities: Electricity like eels and water bullets like archerfish. Location: The Great Five-Tail River and it's tributaries. Queen (Canon): Queen Amazon Dulcis Vivificantem(Leader): Indus Diet: Crustaceans, palm kernels, candlefish, butterfish, fallen fruit, pomegranates, sugar cane, grass, water plants, rice, grain, maize. Alliances: DeathWings, LeafWings, DriftWings(kinda), and MistWings(hopefully) Appearance Riverwings are aquatic dragons. Like Seawings, they have webbed talons, gills, and streamline bodies, but that is where the similarities end. Their limbs and even tail are utterly useless in and out of water, as they are used for drifting slowly in the current. They are generally in the range of colors from blue to green to dull muddy brown. Their snouts are like that of seahorses or sea dragons, long and slender, able to shoot out and grasp. They have small horns, and sagging extensions of skin or tissue over their bodies, as camouflage into kelp or reeds. Like Leafwings, they are small and lithe in build. Their teeth are extremely small, as they only need the fewest to catch prey. They have wings that have evolved to fins, and are used for steering in water and for display, and therefore, they are flightless. Their scales are water tight, as they rarely leave water, and are easily damaged by the sun. Abilities Riverwings may seem weak, but are surprisingly resilient. They can shoot through the water with surprising speed. They can camouflage into kelp and water foliage.... and a secret weapon... a water bullet. Using their seahorse like snouts, they can suck and channel in water around them, lift their heads above the surface, and shoot out a torpedo of pressurized water going at 100 miles per hour in the blink of an eye, straight at an opponent. If aimed right, it can knock a Skywing out of the sky. Like eels, they can also produce electricity of a thousand volts, though this is normally saved for the most dire of situations. Don't underestimate a Riverwing. However, Riverwings can only venture out onto land at night, for their delicate skin can dry out if in the sun too long. There are NO animuses in the tribe, as the recessive genes for animus powers were lost as the tribe split long ago from their Seawing relatives. If you're wondering on why dragons with a river all to themselves need not one but TWO deadly weapons, then the answer is on both sides of the Riverwing's territory. Long before they began encroaching on Riverwing territory, the two tribes on their sides, the Sandwings and Skywings, have long given the tribe trouble. Raids and attacks were common, and so the Riverwings evolved such abilities to defend themselves without leaving the water. They can't fly, and their abilities don't work without water, so they are used primarily for defense. That's not to say they don't use said powers on prey, but they're most effective at keeping enemy tribes from getting in the water and threatening the Riverwings' core habitat. History Riverwings evolved during the Scorching, when the last common ancestor between them and Seawings branched off in the vast ocean north of Pyrrhia, and swam upstream into the warmer, Great Five-Tail River. Over thousands of generations, they became completely adapted to river life. They can now survive only in freshwater, preferably mild to cold. They lost the ability of their wings, and harnessed electricity. Once they inhabited all of the rivers of Pyrrhia, going Under the Mountain through channels as super highways of trade, but due to territory encroachment by neighbour and the Sandwing War, they are now only found in the Great Five-Tail River. They lived as peaceful river irrigation farmers for decades, until an event they call the "the Pyrrhian Ice Age", happened, in which bad winters threatened their crops. Starvation lingered, and unfrozen fresh water was scarce. Fields laid fallow. Worst of all, it was around this time their other river territories were beginning to be cut off. This led to unrest, and eventually... revolution. A Riverwing named Huang He led a revolution against the reigning monarchs, promising to put an end to the hunger and death. He of course was really just in it for the power, but his corrupt plots were surprisingly exposed(unlike most revolts), which launched the revolution, and tribe, into civil war, known in Scavenger language as "Cen Goku Jidai" or "Roaring Rapids" period. A turbulent time of bloodied water, it was actually quiet, as the fighting was done underwater, and the Riverwings were a small and relatively isolated tribe. After ten years of fighting, the smoke( or in this case silt) cleared, and the Riverwings began to reorganize and repopulate. The old empire collapsed, and was abolished. The modern republican government was formed, ushering in a new era in the region. It is known as the "Imjin Camal" in Scavenger, or "Calming of Waters". Ever since their civil war, the Riverwings have never experienced conflict domestic or foreign. During the War of SandWing Succession, the RiverWings were caught between two major superpowers in the war, though luckily their thin and deep water nation kept the tribe safe. It was only after the war did the tribe re-emerge. Empire to Republic In a reverse of Rome, the RiverWings once had an enormous empire. Ironically, though they were the most spread out tribe with the largest territory, since it was only in the rivers of Pyrrhia, it meant they were the tribe with the least amount of sovereign land. Nevertheless, the water territory they controlled was vast and stretched throughout the continent. Colonies popped up everywhere, and soon the kingdom become at some places, over crowded, which would lead to the establishment of even more colonies. From Alejandria to Granada, from Esmeralda to Niceantioch, the empire grew exponentially in wealth, though they hardly ever interacted with other tribes. They remained as sailor or young dragonet tales, an empire of wealthy dragons below the surface of rivers, like Scavengers talking dragon tongue, or an animus that didn't go mad. But the empire was very much real, and so was it's collapse. Because the rivers allowed for easy transport and communication while limiting the amount of land to be govern, and because it protected them from outside threats, the empire could spread as far as it pleased, without batting an eyelash at the consequences. The trouble, came from outside. As other tribe began to settle the areas around the rivers of Pyrrhia, the Riverwings, while not forced out, did have to leave do to accidental encroachment. First came the loss of Victoria, their proud lake colony, which was overrun by Mudwings that built their Queen's palace in its place. Next came Montebaja, which then led to the apocalyptic collapse of Esmeralda, as the city was cut off from the rest of the empire. As Esmeralda fell, the economy collapsed, and soon, all of the other colonies were abandoned for good, except for Alejandria. It was too precious to the Riverwings to let fall, and they pulled all of their resources together to save it from ruin. It worked, but the city was weakened. Then came the neighbors. Sandwings and Skywings, unaware of the Riverwings in the Great Five-Tail, began settling small towns near the river. Soon, the town became a major city, known today as "Possibility". As Possibility grew, Alejandria, just below the surface, broke down. As dragons crowded the town above, waste began to pollute the water, spreading deadly diseases like cholera throughout Alejandria. But that was only a spectator of things to come. Long before the great war, Skywings and Sandwings had never really agreed on whose territory was whose, unaware of the Riverwings in the river that made up their border. Frequent tribal conflicts broke out as more dragons packed into Possibility, and the fierce fighting made Alejandria a war-zone, as bodies bloodied the water. Finally, Queen Amur and her daughter, Princess Ohio(who would later get caught in the revolt years later) made the decision to move the capital to Runoffopolis, and gave the evacuation order for Alejandria. The imperial way of life, was shattered. Culture Riverwings lived in secret from the other tribes for thousands of years, unseen in the river bottom. They only come out onto land to celebrate holidays, and return before the sun even rises. Most dragons look down upon them as backwards for never leaving the water, and, like with the Rainwings, the other tribes started spreading rumors about them. It turns out though, they are quite advanced. They incorporated the wheel into their society, borrowing the technology from neighbor human tribes, who they have much respect for. They mainly use the wheel in carts to haul food and supplies from one stream, over mounds of mud, to safer storage ponds. The other tribes can fly, so they have no need for the wheel, but Riverwings, being smaller, weaker, and flightless, are heavily relied on it. They are also the only agricultural tribe in Pyrrhia, growing grains, water plants, and fruit in their fertile fields. Like beavers, they build dams and lodges, where they sleep and hide. Tribes like Skywings and Sandwings that fly over head mistake these for beaver dams, and try to get a quick snack, only to find either an abandoned lodge, or an unpleasant electrical shock. Like with seahorses and sea dragons, only male Riverwings ever care for the young. The females spend their days roaming about, looking for food, and making the majority of the advancements in society, whereas most males build the homes and rear the young, protecting them with their lives. Their eggs have no shells, and must be laid and fertilized in water, so for the months of incubation, a male will never leave his nest. Many statues in the most prestige of places in the kingdom depict a male Riverwing holding an egg or young dragonet, with a podium saying words of devotion and bravery. Even the governor bows to an respectful father. They worship nature as a whole, often found in large lodges meditating, becoming one with life itself. In fact, if one was to disturb a Riverwing during its deepest train of thought in meditation, they can be tried and executed. In case of cuisine, Riverwings are bottom feeders. Not that they eat waste, they just eat anything that can fit in their mouths, mainly fallen leaves, nuts or fruit, crickets, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, mosquitoes, dragonflies, salmon, rice paddies, and the occasional heron or piper bird. Among the most highly regarded of cuisine, is crustacean or mollusk. Snails, crabs, crawfish, shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels, and brine are all delicacies, often served on lily pads(plates equivalent to fine china). Occasionally, they are known for collecting cajun spice from surrounding plants, to make their food taste good, and inedible to other dragons. They spend much of their time writing on papyrus paper made from marsh reeds. Unlike Seawings, which use whale blood and squid ink to make ink, Riverwings use river bottom sediment and fish oil. Important documents however, are exclusive to clay tablets. When a Riverwing is injured, it has a special way of healing. It takes mud from the banks of the river, filters it through film until all that is left in the clean fine sediment, dresses the wound with it, and then wraps the injury in cattails and reeds. Riverwings are not only the only tribe to practice agriculture, but also the only known dragons to have a good relationship with Scavengers, providing translation between the two radically different cultures. As Riverwings are small and don't eat humans, they get along quite well, even depending on them for trade for important goods like fishing nets or wheels. They adore Scavenger culture, with many a dragon often visiting nearby villages and homes to explore at night. In return for their peaceful nature and willingness to be partners, Scavengers often leave food out for any dragon that pays a visit. To help Scavengers get across the territory, Riverwings have designed boats that run on the power of steam to move and cruise across the surface. Their art, architecture, and other cultural aspects are a blend of Mississippian(Amerindian) and Bronze Age Egyptian, with earth-mud ziggurats just poking above the surface, looking like islands, and small pyramids and obelisks of wet sand stone, molded into markers of location and flood level. In their old empire, their culture varied from province to province, but since the collapse, it has been diminished. Note: NEVER damage a lotus flower, for they are sacred to Riverwings, and many parents name their daughters Lotus for good luck. They have a twelve year cycle in the calendar, each year getting 365 days. Each year is represented by a zodiac sign, in order, from least luckiest to luckiest: Year of the Oxbow Year of the Cattail Year of the Heron Year of the Aquifer Year of the Mill Year of the Lily Pad Year of the Frog Year of the Willow Year of the Brine Year of the Newt Year of the Mangrove(This Year) Year of the Lotus(Luckiest/Next Year 2019) Language The Riverwings, as if not mysterious enough, have their own language. Completely separate from all the other tribes, the language developed long after the Seawing-Riverwing split in the Scorching. To make things even more complicated, years of living peacefully with Scavengers, have made the Riverwings develop, not only a completely distinct writing system and alphabet, but also borrow a few words from Scavengers, such as "Yibble"(Hello), "Yor uko"(I am), "Bork"(Yes), "Uraque"(No), or "Blurex"(Goodbye). Thankfully, the Riverwings have a clay tablet called the Floretta Tablet, which allows for translation into normal dragon speak. Some even say it could hold the key as an intermediate way to learn Scavenger language itself, though trials to see if this is the case are yet to be conducted. Most adult and young Riverwings are either bilingual or use normal dragon language(called "Dantede" or "Lamespeak") in matters abroad, though they still speak with heavy Roiswe("Riverspeak", the native language) accents. The alphabet looks like the regular alphabet, but with a few new characters, less recognizable ones, and different sounds: @-"ah" A-"ay" B-"bw" C-"ee" D-"see" E-"o" H-"fa" I-"iya" L-"silent" K-"ca" R-"rra" T-"pa" W-"wa" Q-"tera" O-"uh" U-"oo" Y-"ae(i)" S-"lo" X-"ha" %-"ola" ^-"ve" &-"ir" G-"jo" J-"ga" V-"ñ" Festival of Harvest Rapids Every year, around the harvest season, Riverwings from all around(and some Scavengers too), swim upriver and congregate in the grand lodge in the capital, Runoffopolis, where grand festival activities are held. Elders hand down treats and coinage to youngsters, green and blue tapestries are hung, and the grand river dance is held. The grand river dance is a ceremonial dance, that is performed by only the most well trained. Though it is hard to move on land, in the water, their grace comes in hand. The dancers leap out of the water, and once back in, form a line in which they move back and forth, left to right, and swing their tails. A sight to behold, though few have seen. The Dance of the Flooded Desert(Daxsju) "Daxsju" or, "The Dance of the Flooded Desert", is one of the most important festivals of the year. Every spring, when cold, humid air from the northern sea(like that of the Pacific Northwest) meets with the hot dry air of the southwestern desert, and the cool continental air blown west from the eastern mountains, a perfect storm is created that causes daily rain of 91 centimeters. At the same time, glaciers from the Claws of the Clouds begin to melt, bringing a large amount of flood water to the area. For places like Possibility, this is dangerous, but for the Riverwings, it is an important and auspicious event. This weather chaos lasts for a whole week after the spring equinox, and clears up on the seventh night. The next day, Riverwings across the republic wake up to find a strange and alien world: a flooded desert. The flood waters don't seep into the dry arid soil, but instead collect into large ponds and oasis', with hundreds as far as the eye can see. This causes problems for other dragons, but the plentiful clean freshwater entices Riverwings out of the Great Five-Tail, harkening a week of celebration. For the next week, schools are closed, and Riverwings from all over come to frolick in the spring floodwaters. Games are held to see which Riverwing can shoot the farthest water bullet, and it is a time of jubilee. A week after the celebration, there comes another transformation. The resettling of mount and desert silt, along with the waste of the Riverwings, created incredible fertile soil, allowing wild plants with shallow roots to briefly cover the dunes. This then transitions into the last main event, a great feast. Delicacies like rainbow trout, salmon, and especially butterfish and candlefish, are eaten, and everyone enjoys the feverish atmosphere. Finally, the desert returns, and the Riverwings begin to head back to the main river as the pools dry out. From then they have to survive on food in the river until the harvest season after summer, marking the beginning of the "Sugeva" or "Summer Fast", and ending the month long celebration. Location Riverwings are exclusively found in the Great Five-Tail River and the surrounding streams that form the border between Skywing and Sandwing territory, but that isn't to say they are rare. Their civilization has been safely hidden away in the miles of river that stretch the delta. They once controlled nearly every river in Pyrrhia, but due to encroachment by hostile neighbors, are restricted to the Great Five Tail. Every year when it floods, they take the opportunity to come ashore in the beautiful but short lived, "flooded desert", with an oasis of water in every dune, which temporarily expands their territory. Cities El Estuary A city on the border between the Seawing Kingdom and the Riverwing nation. Salt levels are normally too high for most Riverwings, so you'll usually only see border guards, making sure their neighboring sister tribe won't get any ideas of aggression. Runoffopolis The main capital of the tribe, where the elective and royal family reside. It is the new replacement of Alejandria. Steamholm Another major city, the main site for meditation. Copa Cospringa A relaxing pond, where a Riverwing can just let go. Rio de Hielo A quiet stream, that freezes even in the warmest of winters, great for ice skating. Colonies(Former) RiverWings, having used the underground canals of the Under the Mountain region, once controlled all of Pyrrhia's rivers. Unseen below the surface, they once had a thriving empire, which, in area spread over, was the largest nation in Pyrrhia's history. Although, as it was limited to water, the kingdom was stretched very thinly, so in land area, it was ironically the smallest of Pyrrhia's tribes. Many of the former colonies that are in ruins today might surprise you. Alejandria This was the jewel of the old empire. Located along a tributary of the Great Five-Tail, the underwater city of Alejandria was the first place the Riverwings colonized, and was the first capital. A once thriving city, the town was abandoned for a brief time, and soon, Skywings, Sandwings and other tribes overran the area above the surface, and began polluting the water. The Riverwings have not returned since, and the conflict over the new town of Possibility that engulfed both of their neighbors didn't help. Granada Another thriving port city, and capital of the old Diamond Spray province, built in a brackish swamp just north of the Mudwings, Granada was named because it was the main granary or food-producer of the empire, shipping grains and seeds all over. However, an ambitious Rainwing and his Sandwing ally soon established a city also called Granada by coincidence, on the land above. The Riverwings had to quietly abandon their old home in the Diamond Spray delta. To see more, go to Granada(Fanon Wiki). Montebaja Meaning, "below the mountain", this city was the southern provincial capital of the Winding Tail River. Flowing from the Skywing territory to Jade Mountain, this city was the cultural capital of the Riverwing empire. It and it's sister city just down river, Esmeralda, were abandoned before the Aviwings settled the area, explaining why Riverwings only recently found out about the tribe. Esmeralda Named for the emerald green mountain nearby(Jade Mountain), Esmeralda was a gateway to the southern sea, and is how the Riverwings learned of the Rainwings to the east. The area, just east of Jade Mountain, is low lying and marshy, with high sand and clay banks, which give added protection. It was this protection that made Esmeralda important. It was not only a stronghold against any Seawing invasion from the south, but also the location of the former vault of the treasury, holding at once, 50% of all the wealth in the empire. If Alejandria was the brains in control, and Granada the mouth and stomach, Esmeralda was the beating heart that with precious blood(in this case, the currency, cobalt) kept the empire alive. It's fall was marked in history as the nail in the coffin of the empire's collapse. Victoria Hidden away in the great lake, the largest body of sitting freshwater in Pyrrhia, this city was located on a small, half submerged island at the lake's center. A resting spot for Riverwings, as well as the safest place inland to raise young, the Riverwings had one of their most dense population centers here. In part, it was the Riverwings, with their knowledge of irrigation and dam-building, that made the lake so huge. It was indeed, a huge lake when settled, but when the Riverwings ran out of room, they terraformed the lake's streams, blocking them off, to flood the nearby lowlands. However, this also make it attractive to the expanding Mudwings just north of it, who began to move their Queen's palace there. After a brief standoff, the Riverwings, not wanting to risk all out war with so many dragon in one place, just decided to cede the territory to the Mudwings, and leave. Niceantioch Niceantioch was located near the head of the Diamond Spray River, and was a major fortification to protect and police the traffic and flow of goods to and from Granada. However, as the Skywings encroached, the Riverwings abandoned their posts, and the invading tribe built their capital nearby. No Riverwing dares to return. Personality Riverwings overall are typically shy, due to their conflicting neighbors, but are peaceful and are able to find the true peace in nature. This contrast greatly with their old militant, imperial way of life, which was shattered in the rebellion along with the monarchy. Government Riverwings are a democracy, and the king and queen are mainly for ceremony and tradition of the olden days of yore. The elective, called the Dulcis Vivificantem, or "DV", meaning "freshwater giver", is elected by the citizens every 7 years, and is in charge of the execution of law. There is also a parliament/congress body called, "Canton Council", a mixed-proportionally voted body, in which Riverwings vote for parties, and they are represented in ratio to each other(no winner take all). Diplomatic Relations(Canon) SeaWings Riverwings are highly distrustful of their relatives, the Seawings, and believe their greed for wealth and treasure is evil and a bad example of dragon behavior. They have faced invasion before, but have always managed to hold back or appease their rivals. SkyWings Riverwings are absolutely terrified of their eastern neighbors, the Skywings, and have long hidden away during the Great War as it joined forces with other tribes. MudWings Riverwings have long since been distrustful of the larger Mudwings from their old colony in the Diamond Spray. They don't interact much, and the times they do typically end with they peacefully but firmly chasing the dragons away. RainWings The Riverwings respect Rainwings for their laid back peaceful demeanor, but still find them a bit lazy. The tribes do not interact often, but Rainwings occasionally do visit. NightWings The two tribes do not interact much, but from what Riverwings hear, they are found of the tribe. However, many Riverwings do not buy the whole "reading minds" or "prophecy" powers whole hog, and those that do often seeing those powers as unnecessary or even taboo(invasion of privacy or ruining surprises and whatnot). IceWings A Riverwing, even today, has never met an Icewing in their life, and can hardly describe what one looks like without a book. Locked away by mountains of hostile dragons, and a deadly saline sea, for the longest time, Riverwings simply doubted Icewings even existed, thinking no reptile, especially one as large as a dragon, could survive to far north. SandWings Riverwings are quick to refrain from talking about Sandwings. They are, for the record, on the opposite side of the tribe from the Skywings, and often fight with the Skywings over the river territory(though it actually belongs to the Riverwings). The fact that the Sandwings also live in an area completely deprived of freshwater, doesn't help. They also tend to think of the tribe negatively, as they, in the Riverwings' perspective, did plunge Pyrrhia into war, and ally the Skywings and Mudwings against the Seawings, putting their peaceful tribe in the middle of the crossfire zone. They still hold respect for the tribe though, as they sympathize with going through a civil war of their own. However, they are still bitter about the conflict in Possibility, which was originally a Riverwing colony. Their relationship with their western neighbor is complicated, to say the least. Diplomatic Relations(Fanon) DriftWings They have a very good relationship with Driftwings, often taking ideas and views from the fellow democracy. This is kind of ironic though, as Driftwings live in areas that are the opposite of what a Riverwing requires to survive(dry canyons). Therefore, interaction is very limited. LeafWings Leafwings are small and vulnerable, and while most Riverwings have never seen one, they still feel the empathy of being small and easily picked on by neighboring tribes. SwiftWings Living opposite the mountains at Pyrrhia's center, Riverwings have not interacted much at all with this tribe. They are nuetral. DeathWings Riverwings also empathize with the Deathwings, as they too were harassed by the Skywings, though contact is still limited, as no Deathwing dares head south through Skywing territory, nor can any Riverwing leave the Great Five-Tail. TrickWings Riverwings have not seen Trickwings, but hear about their heinous and dishonest ways. They take the stereotypes and negative connotations with a grain of salt(not literally), but it's hard for them to trust the tribe. AviWings As with the Icewings, due to isolation, for the longest time, Riverwings doubted Aviwings existed. It was only when knowledge of the tribes diverging in the Scorching, and the genetic linking of Riverwings and Seawings, did many speculate Aviwings did indeed exist. Relations are still in development. Though the Aviwings are just south of the north-flowing Great Five-Tail, they are separated by arid mountains. TempestWings Being so high in the mountains, Riverwings do not hear much from their neighbors. Relations have been established though, and trade and ties are neutral at best. MistWings RiverWings are kind of bitter towards the MistWings for settling in what used to be the most prosperous colony of their empire, but since they moved in after the collapse, and the MistWings are nice, they mainly joke about it when a MistWing comes to visit. As Mistwings are new to the RiverWings, they are neutral, though many Riverwings hope to establish good relations with this peculiar and friendly tribe. Tribe Members Dulcis Vivificantem: Indus King: Nile Queen: Amazon Princess: Mississippi Prince: Mekong Naming: Names are based on freshwater bodies(rivers, streams, lakes, etc), along with places/items associated with rivers and river-dwelling animals. Name suggestions: Stream, Aquifer, Pond, Oxbow, Lotus, Harvest, Irrigation, Drainage, Estuary, Newt, Piron, Eden, Missouri, Delta, Bosphorus, Tigris, Euphrates, Gihon, Yangtze, Yellow, Congo, Victoria, Kaiju, Kraken, Sunken, Wreckage, Boat, Knarr, Runoff, Ganges(popular), Nazca, Bayou, Pearl, Canton, Harbor, Silt, Spring, Stream, Rio, Masai/Mara, Jaxartes, Ashoka.